During an appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” Billy Bush again verified the authenticity of the “Access Hollywood” tape featuring Donald Trump’s crude 2005 comments about women. Here are the main takeaways from the interview. (Amber Ferguson/The Washington Post)

On Monday night, Billy Bush — once a staple of infotainment shows — stopped by CBS’s “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” for his first TV appearance in more than a year.

“Folks, you know my first guest tonight as a former anchor of the ‘Today’ show and ‘Access Hollywood,’ and from one very infamous bus ride,” Colbert said by way of introduction.

The two had a lot to discuss. As the world knows, Bush lost his NBC “Today” show gig last October after The Washington Post published audio of a 2005 conversation between him and then-“Apprentice” host Donald Trump while they were on a bus to film a segment for “Access Hollywood.” Trump talked about how he liked to just start kissing beautiful women. “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,” Trump said, adding, “Grab them by the p‑‑‑y.” Bush laughed throughout the exchange.

Bush has been mostly off the grid ever since. However, this week, he kicked off some image rehabilitation with a New York Times op-ed and this appearance on “The Late Show.” Here are the six main takeaways from the interview — besides the fact that when Bush walked out onstage, Colbert’s band played a slow-jam rendition of “Wheels on the Bus.”

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to roll the tape,” Colbert said at the beginning of their conversation.

Bush was visibly not thrilled. “Can we make a deal that it’s the last time, or no?” he asked.

They switched topics, and Bush talked and talked — and admitted that he was trying to keep Colbert from playing the video.

“We’re going to air it no matter what,” Colbert assured him, and then played the most-quoted part of the tape. (See above.)

“Okay, what’s your reaction when you hear that even almost a year and a half later?” Colbert asked after the awkward moment was over.

“The first time I ever heard it was three days before it leaked. And so it was like a gut punch,” Bush said. “It’s a gut punch now. It will always be.”

2. Bush is still in disbelief that he lost his “Today” show gig.

Bush seemed to alternate between anger and incredulity that he lost the job of a lifetime.

“How do you feel about NBC firing you?” Colbert asked bluntly. “Especially in light of Matt Lauer being fired for allegations of actual sexual impropriety?” (This was not the only time Bush’s former “Today” colleague came up in the conversation.)

“Look, it was a difficult time. I think it was very hot emotionally in the country,” Bush said. “A lot of people were not comfortable with the man who was close to winning the election, and a lot of things happened quickly.” Bush added that his boss stated, months later, that NBC “may have moved a little quickly” in forcing his exit.

Mostly, Bush said, he wished he could have addressed his “Today” show audience after everything happened. But he was never allowed back on air.

Bush seemed most upset as he talked about Trump winning the election and facing no consequences for the tape.

“Stephen, it’s an unbelievable irony. The very day that he was swearing in as the 45th president of the United States, I was checking in to this soul-searching retreat in St. Helena, California, nine days off the grid,” Bush said. “… It was the beginning of me saying, ‘All right, get up, stop being sorry for yourself, stop worrying about these things. There’s life to live, let’s go, get better — be a better man, be a better person.’ So I passed the television in the office when I was checking in. He’s got the hand up and I’m going into my little cabin to do the work.”

There was a long pause. “Tough,” Bush said. “Irony.”

3. Bush also cannot believe that Trump has reportedly been telling people that it’s not his voice on the tape.

Bush’s New York Times editorial is titled “Yes, Donald Trump, You Said That.” So you can imagine what he thinks of reports that Trump has been privately saying he doesn’t think that it’s his voice on the bus audio.

“You don’t get to say that. Because I was there, and the last 14 months of my life I have been dealing with it,” Bush said. “You dealt with it for 14 minutes and went on to be the president.”